Sermon on the Mount – 14 – I Never Knew You

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Recap – Sermon on the mount so far –

The last couple of Sermons have dealt with the finality of our decisions

the weight of Jesus teachings- He is not just giving us self-help tips

as He mentioned in Chapter 5 – unless we have His righteousness we shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven –

Enter The Kingdom of Heaven

The message really is about the kingdom of heaven – now way around that

from the poor in Spirit, those who are persecuted, those whose righteousness exceeds the Pharisees

Although it is about the kingdom of heaven, it is also about this life – you cannot separate the two

It is through this life that we get there – you have to get there from here

Take heed how you live it –

2 Peter 3:11 NKJV

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

These last messages may seem heavy

Sometimes I have been critical during these sermons –

pointing to wrong teaching, wrong paths, and deceived people

I am sorry if I have offended anyone, either here or online – but not sorry for what I have preached

I have come to love you – each of you

I really do love the people I reach each week –

not only those who are saved but also those who have not chosen Jesus yet

James 5:20 NKJV

let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

I love so many of my fellow Christians, some of whom I know are deceiving themselves

Having an understanding of the Word of God, and a relationship with Jesus, I also feel His love for you, even those of you online that I may not know personally

It grieves me to think that there are so many people believing a false gospel

so many people are like these Jesus is mentioning here, who are actually saying Lord Lord!

Not every One who says to me Lord, Lord

This is a very sobering and important point –

This is one of the greatest sermons Jesus preached – and now He is drawing to the close –

The thing that matters most – the whole purpose of the message

yes, the message teaches us how to live our lives in this world – victoriously

but that victory is just the icing – the cake is heaven – and without that the icing is useless

LORD is repeated – emphasis

Jesus presents Himself here as “Lord”, “Judge”

An Exegetical Summary of The Sermon on the Mount 7:21

Repetition of the word emphasizes the lordship, that they are regarding Jesus as their Lord [Mor]. The doubled ‘Lord, Lord’ reflects fervency [EBC] and earnestness [ICC]. The repetition means that the person is in the habit of saying that Jesus is his Lord [TH].

these are people who believed that they would go to heaven!

genuinely surprised

He is not just talking about the drug dealer that died in a crime and thought he was going to heaven because some Baptist Pastor told him that one he said that prayer when he was 10 he could never lose it.

No, of course, those kind of people, who lived their lives in a way that was obviously reprobate will be included in the crowd of outcasts-

But here Jesus is talking about people who, like the false prophets from last week, may have actually appeared to be saved.

Have we not Prophesied in Your name?

So These are people who appeared to be active Christians

They claimed to have prophesied in His name

apparently then, they actually believed that they were prophesying

Like the Jews in John chapter 8 who believed in Jesus, but would not repent

As we discussed last week a Prophet is:

One who speaks authoritatively concerning God’s will

one who foretells the future

has divine insight concerning things of God

Some of these people have spent their lives “giving you a word” from the Lord

How many people do you know…..

So many churches – charismatic churches – are even teaching people how to “prophesy” – and yet they are doing it falsely without even knowing it –

These unsaved people apparently thought that they were saved and they thought that their prophesying really was in His name

We have cast out demons in your name

These people have even used Jesus name to take authority over demons (whether or not it worked)

again – how often do we see this – although wrongly applied

Again, these people are surprised by the fact that they are being rejected!

They evidently believed that they were casting out demons

It is important here not to think that there is no such thing as casting out demons

although these people were wrong in their application – like the 7 sons of Sceva, there is a right way

We have been given authority over demons – to cast them out

Done many wonders in Your name

In addition to the charismatic deceived, there will be many who relied on good works that they have done

And here again, these people are genuinely surprised when they learn that they do not get to go to heaven –

What an unimaginable tragedy –

to have spent your life deceived, believing a false gospel – only to find out when it is too late – forever

This is the WORD, I am just repeating it

If you disagree with these things, please show it from the scripture –

It is not me that keeps “harping on this”, but the Word of God

In each of these examples, Jesus did not dispute their claims- yet they were wrong in their expectation regarding their claims

Many will say to ME in that day

There is a certain day – it will come

There was another possibility that could have happened

Like the explanation, Jesus gives us in Matthew 25 – where again, people are very surprised to learn that they are cast out – into fire

but there is another group present there

to whom Jesus says

Matthew 25:34 NKJV

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Oh how wonderful that day will be!

It is God’s great desire that you will be there to hear “well done, my good and faithful servant”

Not His will that any should perish

While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us

Oh how HE loves us!

The Day of The Lord Will Come

So, as Peter reminds us, it is certain this day will come

and when it does, there are two possible results, or outcomes that every one of us will experience.

You will either hear “well done my good and faithful servant” or “Depart from me”

This theme is repeated so often that it amazes me it is preached so little

and even that is fulfilled prophecy

So, How can you be sure you will be accepted?

The Short answer is to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved”

But how do you know if you have believed?

These people seemed genuinely surprised that they were rejected – this is scripture – not my opinion

If you have believed on the Lord Jesus, you are saved – but if that is true, then it is also changing you –

this is a good change, not a forced change

it is good to follow Him – to present myself a living sacrifice

Many people believe that He exists, and they want to go to heaven, but they have not submitted to His Lordship –

2 Peter 1:5-10 says:

2 Peter 1:5–10 NKJV

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

Here the Bible tells us to “be diligent” to make our call and election sure…

Be diligent

Implies it is not automatic, indeed, may not even be easy

He is addressing Christians – Brethren

We are instructed to do this, using all diligence, to:

Add to your faith virtue –

Yes, you are saved by grace, through faith – but if that faith is real, it will result in good works

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Now add to our virtue, knowledge – Read your bible and pray!

Add to your knowledge self-control

Add patience

add godliness

brotherly kindness – Oh how kindness is lacking in the world these days

and to kindness, genuine love

If These things be in you…

You will not be barren or unfruitful

Whoever lacks these things is blind

is shortsighted – cannot see far

Can’t see past their own selfishness – beyond today

forgot that he was purged of his sins

But if you do these things you will never fall!

We must examine ourselves

Must make our calling and election sure

not by looking back to a decision we made some years ago

rather by looking into the mirror of God’s Word

Are these things in us?

Not that we are perfect, and never slip –

but do we desire this fruit?

are we trying? Can we be corrected?

patience, self-control, patience, kindness, love

In other words, our we living like Jesus taught us in this Sermon on the Mount?

Some people hear these words, and keep right on without being changed

they may be in church but they are not in Christ.

Jesus will say “Depart from me” to them

Unless they repent.

The goal today is that those of us who are saved will be even more secure in our salvation

Are these things in you? Do you love HIM?

Are you continuing in your own stubborn ways? Making excuses for why His instructions should not apply to you?

2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.